Despite the state government ban on Poultry and Poultry products because of the scaring Avian Influenza “BIRD FLU”, traders in the busy market of Tezpur town are seen selling Chickens on December 13 afternoon. (UB PHOTOS) GUWAHATI/TINSUKIA, December 13 (Agencies): The Assam health department has stepped up surveillance on human beings in the bird flu-hit districts. Health officials said about 300,000 people were under strict surveillance in the six districts where avian influenza was reported. National Rural Health Mission (Assam) director Partha Gogoi said no case of human infection has been reported so far.
Gogoi added that at least 150 people, who were found suffering from fever in the affected districts, were actually suffering from common cold. "We are keeping a close watch on the health of these people at places where bird flu has been detected. So far, no human infection has been reported. We are also ready with medical teams and necessary drugs in case any human infection is found,'' Gogoi said.
Sufficient quantity of Tamiflu, the drug that is used to treat avian influenza, has been stocked in adequate quantity to treat people if they get infected with bird flu. Five medical teams, comprising medicine specialists, epidemiologists and microbiologists, are monitoring the situation in the affected districts.
On Friday, culling operations continued at a government farm in the city's Khanapara area, Jalah in Kamrup district's Bejera area and ward no 6 in Dibrugarh. Altogether 1,343 fowls were culled by Rapid Response Team personnel at the Central Chicks Rearing farm of the veterinary and animal husbandry department in the Khanapara area on Thursday. Bird flu was confirmed in the government farm after 30 birds died there a few days ago.
Hours before the culling operations started in Dibrugarh, a Central official arrived here on Friday to oversee the process. According to sources, observer Dipankar Biswas, regional officer of the central veterinary department's eastern region, will prepare a report on the culling process. Culling started at the shop of Biswajit Roy in the town's Ward No 6. On Wednesday, the first case of bird flu was detected in this shop. Culling will be getting over in three to four days.
"On the first day, five teams of four members each were pressed into action. Several birds were culled by the end of the day,'' said R Das, district veterinary officer (Dibrugarh). "Culling started in Chiring Sapori of Ward Number 6 and will be carried out within a radius of three km,'' Das said. "It is a door-to-door operation and will take three-four days to cull all birds in the marked area. A map has been prepared to facilitate members of the culling team. Members of these teams have also received the anti-virus injection to prevent any infection to them.''
"An estimated 40,000 birds, including ducks, are likely to be culled,'' Das added. Earlier, the Dibrugarh district administration had prohibited sale and import of poultry and poultry products to the district after detection of bird flu. A similar ban has been imposed in Tinsukia district.
Govt enhances compensation
Guwahati, December 13 (PTI): Assam government today decided to enhance the compensation to poultry farmers whose birds were being culled and planned to set up a sample centre in the state in the wake of bird flu outbreak in nine districts of the state. Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters here that the compensation has been raised to Rs 80 for broiler chicken, Rs 90 for local chicken and Rs 125 for ducks and the additional burden would be borne by the state government. The state government has so far made a payment of Rs one crore as compensation with more than 3.70 lakh birds culled and by December 16 more than five lakh birds would be slaughtered, Sarma said. All birds in the area from the epicentre of the disease to a three km radius have to be culled while those beyond three km to 10 kms is under surveillance and its rearers would be provided with Rs 10 per bird daily for its feed.
Culling to begin in Meghalaya
Shillong, December 13 (PTI): Meghalaya on Friday began to cull birds and imposed stringent measures to check the spread of bird flu virus into the state from neighbouring Assam. "As there are no poultry farms in the sparsely populated areas, pet birds would be culled in places like Pilangkata, Baridua," S F Khongwir, deputy commissioner of Ri Bhoi district that borders Assam's Kamrup district said.
Avian influenza has broken out, affecting poultry, in Kamrup district. Around 70 veterinary officials and field staff have been sent to Ri Bhoi district. Khongwir said prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the district and police have asked to maintain vigil to prevent import of poultry from Assam.
State's Veterinary Director D Khonglah, who was overseeing the operations on the spot, said over phone, "There is no confirmation of bird flu outbreak in the state. But the culling and burying of birds are being done as a preventive measure." Compensation would be given to the owners of pet birds on the spot of culling. A senior veterinary official said the department had collected blood samples from birds and poultry from the Assam-Meghalaya border and have sent for tests for confirmatory tests in Bhopal. The state has constituted 150 rapid response teams and opened control rooms to check the spread of the disease into Meghalaya.
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